THE opening of the Italian Opera-house has from time immemorial
been considered the commencement of the London season; and of late years Easter has been the period of an event so interesting to the world of fashion. Now-a-days we have two Italian Opera-houses : one of them has opened as usual, but the other—the old, time- honoured temple of harmony, whose history is the history of dramatic mnsic in -England—remains closed. The active and enterprising lessee of Her Majesty's Theatre does not usually fall behind in the race of competition, and people are beginning to wonder at his pre- sent delay. The Royal Italian Opera opened on Tuesday last with a very splendid performance of the Proprete, which did not, however, present the sli?htest novelty, all the performers being onr old ac- quaintances—lamberlik, Csillag, Corbari, Tagliafico, Zelger, Neri- Baraldi, and Polonini. Costa wielded his baton of command with his accustomed power, and the most gorgeous of operas was as gorgeous as ever. The house was crowded, and had the gay and brilliant aspect which public places in London at this season begin to assume. Drury Lane opened on Easter Monday for a season (a short one, we believe) of English opera. Wallace's Amber Witch, originally produced at Her Majesty's Theatre, was reproduced here on a some- what reduced scale, and with two important changes in the "cast ;" the hero and heroine being personated by Swift and Parepa instead of Sims Reeves and Sherrington. These changes, however, were less detrimental than might have been expected. The new performers acquitted themselves well ; the chorus and orchestra, though reduced in numerical strength, were made up of good materials brought from Her Majesty's Theatre; and the whole representation was, as it deserved to be, most favourably received..
The second concert of the Vocal Association was given at St. James's Hall on Wednesday evening, under the direction of Mr. Benedict. It was (as the concerts of this excellent society always are) a classical and interesting entertainment. The most remarkable performances were Mendelssohn's beautiful Psalm, "Hear my prayer," in which Madame Sherrington sang the principal part, accompanied
i by the chorus ; Mozart's " Ave verum a Corale of Bach; and an organ fugue, composed and performed by M. Lemmens, who is a great master of that instrument.
The "triennial meeting of the three choirs" of Worcester, Hereford, and Gloucester is to be held this year at Hereford, and the arrange- ments for it are of more than usual magnitude. A host of eminent performers are engaged, including Madame Titiens, the Misses Pyne, Madame Sainton-DI olby, Mr. Sims Reeves, Signor Ginglini, and H. Weiss. The sacred pieces fixed on are The Hesstah, Elijah, The Last Judgment, and the Requiem of Mozart, given entire, with portions of Handel's Samson and Haydn's Seasons. Among the secular pieces to be performed at the evening concerts, Benedict's fine cantata, Undine, which made so great an impression at the last Norwich Festival, is the most remarkable.
The celebrated Staudigl died last week in a lunatic asylum at Vienna, of which he had for many years been a hopeless inmate.
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